Scarf's Adventure in Being Wrong
by chill13
Summary: The Pirate with the Scarf seriously dislikes the Captain's decision to invite Charles Darwin to join their crew. But during a battle with a colossal squid something unexpected happens.
1. Chapter 1

It wasn't that he didn't like Darwin. Okay…maybe that was part of it. But mostly he simply didn't trust him. He had lied to them, tricked them, stolen Polly and most importantly put the entire crew in danger of a very unpleasant death. It's true he had helped the Captain get their faithful dodo back. But the Pirate with the Scarf had to ask himself 'why'. Was he truly sorry for what he had done and wanted to right the wrong? Or was the scientist in him simply unable to let a priceless specimen come to harm? He simply didn't know where the man's loyalties lay. And that made the first mate uneasy.

Number Two was perfectly happy with the Pirate Captain's suggestion to ferry the young scientist to an island where he could study the local wildlife to his hearts content. The little fellow would be happy and the pirates could get on their way. Of course the island idea had quickly gone sour when they realized the natives were cannibals and the pirates had had to make a daring rescue to save Mr. Darwin from being the next soup du jour.

Then the Captain did the unthinkable. He had invited Charles Darwin to join the crew. Number Two had voiced his concerns quietly to the Captain but was instantly vetoed. The Captain trusted Charles wholeheartedly and was certain he would make a terrific addition to their pirate band. The rest of the crew agreed and gave him a hearty welcome.

The Captain had asked for his suggestion on what their next adventure might be. What had been Darwin's reply? Search for the legendary colossal squid! It was a terrible idea. Not only was there no booty involved in the venture but it was also dangerous. And for bait he had used ham. _Ham!_ What a ridiculous waste of a good dinner and the crew's safety.

Now Number Two stood on the deck of the ship, cutlass in hand battling one of the largest creatures in the sea as it tried to swallow their vessel whole. He hated being right. The entire crew was on deck, each fighting a huge tentacle as it threatened their lives and their home. The Pirate who Likes Sunsets and Kittens had actually been snatched off the deck and was battling the arm aloft, the Pirate with Gout was beating at one with his crutch, The Surprisingly Curvacious Pirate was apparently trying to tie the thing in knots, weaving and dodging as a tentacle chased him across the deck and the Captain seemed perfectly happy slashing at the thing with his cutlass and shouting colorful insults at the beast.

And where was Mr. Darwin? He had started out taking notes in his journal as the creature appeared. Now, he was cowering under the staircase that lead from the main deck to the poop deck. To the pirate with the Scarf this sort of behavior only confirmed what he had thought all along. The man had the loyalty of a sea sponge.

Then something unexpected happened. It all occurred in scarcely a few seconds but seemed to drag on for much much longer.

"Look out! Behind you!" It was Darwin's voice and Number Two turned just an instant to see what was going on. Charles had leaped out of his hiding place and was shouting in the direction of Albino Pirate who was currently occupied with some very important bits of rope. A gigantic tentacle, like a whip as thick as the main mast, had appeared behind the young man and was beginning a huge sweeping arc and Albino was right in its path. Not really hearing the warning over the sounds of the battle going on all around he simply smiled and waved.

Seeing what was about to happen Number Two ran toward the lower deck, abandoning his opponent and leaving that part of the squid slashing uselessly at the air. As fast as he was he knew he would never make it in time. Darwin, very much to the first mate's surprise, also leaped toward the danger. He was much closer and reached Albino within a few steps. With a hard shove he sent the startled boy sprawling onto the deck just as the monster's powerful arm swung down. It missed the Albino Pirate but caught Darwin full in the side of the head knocking him both senseless and overboard.

Amid the chaos no one else had seen what had happened. Without a second thought Number Two dropped his cutlass, threw off his hat and dove off the ship after a man he no longer disliked.


	2. Chapter 2

He hit the cold water and the ocean engulfed him in a swirl of bubbles, drowning out all sounds of the battle above, leaving only the vague, muted rumble of the monstrous squid and the strained timbers of the ship. The foam quickly dissipated revealing the murky blue water that surrounded him, the only light coming in filtered shafts that flickered and danced with the waves above. None of that registered, though. His focus was downward. About twenty feet, directly below and sinking slowly into darker waters was Darwin his only movement the slight swaying of his coat tails in the current.

With a determined kick Number Two surged down after him, swimming for all he was worth, his mind racing as fast as his heart, wondering how he could live with himself if he was too late. The deeper he swam the harder the water pressed in on him and by the time he neared Darwin his lungs were already screaming for air. He stretched an arm down as far as he could and just managed to catch the back of Darwin's collar. He instantly reversed direction and headed for the surface, clawing the water with one hand and trailing a lifeless scientist in the other.

He broke the surface with a loud gasp, grabbing hold of the rough barnacles on the ship's hull to steady himself. He treaded water trying to keep both his head and Darwin's above the surface.

"You're back!" Albino Pirate was leaning anxiously over the railing, where Number Two was certain he had been from the moment Darwin went overboard. The boy turned for just a moment to shout over his shoulder and a second later a line was tossed down and several more of the crew appeared at the railing. There seemed to be a unanimous mix of confused concern.

"Number Two, what in the name of Neptune's dogfish are you doing down there?" The Pirate Captain called curiously, completely oblivious of any need for urgency. "Ah! Chuck, there you are! We've managed to capture that squid of yours. Devil of a job. But we managed!"

Paying no heed to the Captain's clueless comments Number Two wrapped the rope tightly around one hand and made certain he had a good grip around Darwin's waist with the other. "Hoist us up!"

Moments later they were being helped over the railing. The Pirate with the Scarf dropped, exhausted to his knees at the same moment letting go of Darwin who tumbled, drenched and boneless, to the deck.

Mr. Bobo was the first to the fallen scientist's side. Number Two knew very little about their relationship but due to a couple remarks from Mr. Darwin during their adventure with Queen Victoria and Mr. Bobo's eagerness to join the pirates, Number Two had suspected their relationship had been little more than scientist/experiment. But from the look of concern on the chimp's face the two of them were closer friends than he had imagined.

"Chuck?" Uncertainty was quickly creeping into the Pirate Captain's voice as he stared at the deathly pale figure at his feet. "We caught that wile cephalopod." He motioned half-heartedly to a gigantic glass jar near the opposite railing that now contained a very compacted colossal squid. "I-I say, Charles, lad?" Getting no response the Captain swallowed and looked to his second in command as if for some sort of support.

The Pirate with the Scarf just lowered his head. "I'm sorry, Captain." He heard Albino Pirate whimper somewhere behind him.

But Mr. Bobo was still busy with Darwin, apparently not so ready to give up on him. He rolled the limp scientist onto his back and there was a hush as the chimp put an ear to his chest. A deep frown creased his forehead. He didn't take the time to tell them what was going on. He raised both hands high above his head and brought them down hard right in the center of Darwin's stomach. The reaction was immediate. Charles doubled over with a spasmatic choke, coughing up a bucketful of water and a small fish.

The Albino Pirate threw both hands in the air and cheered. "He's alive!" He then picked up the fish, which was gasping for breath just about like Darwin, and tossed it overboard.

Number two was instantly at Charles' side a hand on his back to help him sit up. "Are you alright?" He waved for the Surprisingly Curvaceous Pirate to fetch a blanket.

"I…I'm not sure." Several strands of wet hair fell down his forehead as he lowered his head into one trembling hand. "I have a beast of a headache and I'm…uh…" He seemed to lose his train of thought when he noticed that The Pirate with the Scarf was the one who had asked the question.

Curvaceous came up from the hold with a shabby quilt and threw it over Darwin's shoulders. Number Two couldn't help but notice how pathetic he looked, sopping wet and shivering. He found it hard to believe that he had ever been a threat.

"I've know something that will cheer you up." The Captain said with a wide grin and pointed to their squid-in-a-jar.

Darwin's eyes lit up. "You caught it? Really?" He stumbled to his feet and started across the deck but took about two steps before his hand went to his head and he wobbled on his feet. Number Two grabbed him by the shoulders before he could topple over.

"You need to lie down. Science can wait." He steered the young scientist toward the forecastle door and Charles was simply too exhausted to protest.

A short time later Number Two came back up on deck. The Captain was waiting for him. "How is he? I've never seen anyone swallow so much water. Except maybe a whale."

"He fell asleep as soon as he hit the hammock. Mr. Bobo's looking after him."

"I have an idea." The Captain said. "We can start Ham Night early. Throw a big to do. That ought to perk him up." Number Two placed a restraining hand on his shoulder.

"He took a severe blow, Captain. We should let him rest."

"Oh. Yes. Perhaps you're right. How _did_ the two of you go overboard anyway?"

"He was looking after Albino and was thrown over. He saved his life, you know." Number Two said quietly, still quite shocked at the revelation. Every reason the Pirate with the Scarf came up with for not trusting Mr. Darwin was valid. He had severely betrayed them, tore their family apart and put them all in danger. But somewhere along the line the man had changed. If not in character at least in loyalties. The Captain had seen it and the crew had seen it. But somehow Number Two had completely missed it.

"You don't say?" The Captain said, back to his cheery self. "I knew the little fellow had it in him."

Number Two stared at the forecastle door. _Why didn't I?_


	3. Chapter 3

Number Two was pacing. Well, not really pacing so much as wandering aimlessly about the ship. He was concerned about Darwin, yes. He'd been below deck all day. Sleeping mostly. Both Number Two and Mr. Bobo had tried to keep the rest of the crew away from the forecastle. They meant well but if they hadn't been barred from below deck they would be bothering him every few minutes. Especially Albino Pirate. He kept poking his head in the door to see if Charles was awake yet and Mr. Bobo had to keep shooing him away.

But what was really bothering him was his conscience. What kept running through his mind was the 'welcome' speech he had given Mr. Darwin when he had first joined the crew. Number Two, had hated the idea. The man was far from trustworthy and seemed to only have his own interests at heart. Least of all it really annoyed him how readily the Captain accepted everything the scientist said. But really, as much as he disliked it there was nothing Number Two could do about it.

There had, of course, been a welcoming party. The pirates used any excuse to have a party. He had approached Charles quietly, while everyone else was busy putting up decorations. "I just wanted to let you know, I'm watching you."

He'd never forget the startled look on Darwin's face. He had nearly dropped his cup of grog.

"And if you ever put this crew in danger again I will keel haul you myself." Number two was never one for threats and he never would have followed through with the keel-hauling bit. But he had wanted to stress how serious he was about the crew's safety.

A door opened, pulling him from his thoughts.

Mr. Bobo emerged from below deck. There was a smile on the chimp's face as he pulled out two note cards. He's. Awake.

The crew broke into a hearty cheer, whistles, shouts, hat waving, the works. Every one of the crew dropped what they were doing and thundered toward the forecastle door, eager to see their recovered friend. But Mr. Bobo put up a firm, halting hand and shook his head, stopping the pirates in their tracks.

"Come on, chummy. We want to see the little bugger." The Pirate with Gout said.

"We wanted to give him this 'Get well and we're happy you didn't get eaten by a shark' card." The Albino Pirate said hopefully.

"We were out of the squid ones." The Surprisingly Curvaceous Pirate added.

"Come now, Unusually Hairy Pirate." The Captain shoved both hands on his hips in a pose he thought looked commanding. "Stand aside. Surely he could use some visitors."

Mr. Bobo gave them all a warning look. One. At. A. Time.

The Pirate Captain gave a satisfied nod and started for the door. "Very well, then."

"Captain." The Pirate with the Scarf pushed through the small crowd and placed a hand on the Captain's shoulder. "Let me go first."

The Captain looked a bit perplexed but let his first mate by.

The Pirate with the Scarf stepped down into the forecastle and shut the door behind him. What he saw gave him a pause. Darwin was sitting in his hammock in a rumpled nightshirt looking haggard. His hair was a mess and he was still looking pointedly paler than usual and from his sudden sneeze Number Two wondered if he wasn't catching a chill. But he had expected all that. What surprised him was the plump little dodo curled up contentedly in the scientist's lap. Darwin had a hand on her back, petting her gently as she was making little purring sounds in her sleep. "Polly?" This was the first time he had seen her around Charles without nipping at him.

Noticing his surprise Darwin gave a little shrug as if he were just as bewildered at her behavior as Number Two was.

The Pirate with the Scarf cleared his throat somewhat uncomfortably. "I wanted to talk to you about something." He said seriously.

Charles thick eyebrows furrowed and he looked down at his hands. "I-I know what you're going to say. And you're right. I got carried away. That thing could have floundered the whole boat. The whole mess is my fault." His voice rose in pitch and he dropped his head in his hands. "I'm a horrible human being. I've let you all down. You can tie me to the anchor if you like."

The Pirate with the Scarf allowed himself a smile. "As entertaining as that may be, that's not what I was going to say."

Darwin looked up uncertainly.

"There are a lot of great things about being a pirate." Number two began, fidgeting with his hat. "Cutlasses, big hats, shiny buckles, fighting up staircases backward. Personally that's my favorite bit." His brows lowered and his mouth straightened seriously. "But the most important thing has nothing to do with the wardrobe, the ship or even the ham. It's the family. We look out for each other, Mr. Darwin."

The scientist winced and looked down.

"And I didn't think you understood that…until today."

"I'm sorry. I'll…" Charles stopped mid-sentence and blinked up at the first mate uncertain if he had heard correctly. "Wait…what?"

"I saw what happened."

"B-but baiting the squid was my idea. You all could have been eaten!"

"That's true. But honestly, the Captain has gotten us into much bigger scrapes than that one. If it weren't for you Albino Pirate would be shaking hands with Davy Jones about now."

Charles shifted uncomfortably, not quite sure how to respond.

The Pirate with the Scarf smiled and extended a hand. "What I really came to say was: "Welcome aboard!"

Darwin looked up at him and a smile slowly spread across his face. He took the first mate's hand and shook it.

"Are you guys done talking yet?" The Albino Pirate peeked his head in the door, his question followed by several hushed but clearly audible voices.

"Shh!"

"Leave them alone."

"It was just getting interesting."

The Pirate with the Scarf rolled his eyes and opened the door. Most of the crew stood directly behind it looking as if they had gotten caught with their hand in the biscuit jar.

Albino was the only one who didn't look ashamed to be caught eavesdropping. "Are you friends now?"

It really was impossible to have anything remotely resembling a private conversation on this ship. He smiled in spite of himself. "I believe we are."

"Alright, lads, enough of that." The Pirate Captain brushed by them into the room, clearly done waiting. He marched up to Charles and gave him a good-natured punch in the arm that nearly sent the little scientist flipping out of his hammock. Polly squawked in alarm. "Good to see you up and about. Had us all worried there for a bit."

Charles smiled and rubbed his arm as the others gathered around him and Number Two made sure he was among them.

"So, Chuck," The Pirate Captain asked. "What exactly are we going to do with that colossal squid of yours?"

Darwin blinked uncertainly, as if the question had never occurred to him. "I-I don't know. Obviously we can't try for London's science fair again."

"We've got to do something with the blasted thing."

The Pirate with Gout raised a hand. "I say we eat it."


End file.
